We call for new knowledge and practices evolved through experience and understanding to be used to intervene in the solution of, the never seen before, complex social, environmental, economic and ethical challenges of our time. Also, to construct a new social and productive rationality that would enable us to transition towards a truly Sustainable Development for all.

How we manifest our purpose is expressed in our orientation to the 4 pillars of Sustainable Development. This being “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Bruntland report 1987).

“The concept of a sustainable agriculture is a relatively recent response to the decline in the quality of the natural resource base associated with modern agriculture” (Mc Isaac and Edwards 1994).

Agroecology deals with various different challenges in agricultural production. Agroecology deals primarily with crop production and protection aspects, and includes relevant environmental, social, economic, ethical and developmental issues.

The design of such Sustainable Agroecological systems is based on the application of the following ecological principles:

This Manifesto is formulated to bring about new systems addressing Sustainable Development. Moral and ethical leadership is at the root of all sustainability, “Sustainable development is the kind of development that places the least demands upon natural resources and the most demands upon moral resources” Herman Daly.

Our environmental, economic, political, social, and spiritual challenges are interconnected, and together we can forge inclusive solutions. Within the four pillars of Sustainable Development the following broad indicators of sustainability include:

SOCIAL

Social sustainability is the least defined and least understood of the different ways of approaching sustainability and Sustainable Development. Social sustainability has had considerably less attention in public dialogue than economic and environmental sustainability. It includes:

Equity & Participation

Awareness of sustainability and the link to the Three Fold Social Order

Social Cohesion

Sufficient gainful employment

A reduction in poverty

Higher education levels

Increase/enhance access to social services

Increase/enhance access to medical services

CULTURAL

Cultural sustainability is a new interdisciplinary approach, aimed to raise the significance of culture and its factors in local, regional and global sustainable development. It includes:

Respect of the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance

Recognize and support existing rural cultures

Protect natural and historic heritage

Support and encourage the development and growth of local arts and artists

Support cultural diversity

Advance the library system, access to information and resource centres

ECONOMIC

Sustainable Development is an approach to fiscal planning that attempts to foster socially sensitive economic growth while preserving the quality of the environment for future generations. It includes:

Increased standards of living

Establishment of locally based economies through diversity and stability of local job base

Investment in skills and knowledge

Investment in public and private infrastructure

Innovation and new collaborative opportunities

Increased level of entrepreneurship

ENVIRONMENT

Based on the Indigenous Knowledge 7th Generation Principle
Cleaner air & water

Greater awareness of the environment & our connection to it

Reduced GHG emissions

Safe, reliable transportation options

Efficient and sustainable energy and construction systems

Adaptation and Mitigation to global warming and climate change

Agroecology on a global scale has the following impact;

As a systems approach it is effective, achievable and successful:

It is environmentally, economically, ethically and socially just & sustainable:

It is gender sensitive:

It is technically feasible:

It is inherently participatory:

The advocated systems approach is replicable and adaptable:

It is resilient and therefore contributes to reducing disaster/crisis risks

Nature is not able to anticipate and plan ahead. Human imagination can assist the processes by providing conscious planning and direction. Agriculture is a social art; it is a social science as well as it being a social responsibility. We have to re-acquire those human values that can take farming as a way of life and through this to be able to stand the test of a modern expression of a poly-science. Simply said we have evolved from agri-culture to agri-business to the agri-power where we now sit, and the future belongs to agroecology.

Documents that directly underpin the way forward to Sustainable Development and therefore this Manifesto must be align to a ‘Rights’ based agenda including but not limited to the following:

Bill of Rights prepared by the Constitutional Committee

Section 24 of the Constitution stated that everyone has the right:

to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and

to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that

prevent pollution and ecological degradation;

promote conservation; and

secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development.

Millennium Development Goals (MDG) (Millennium Declaration, signed by 187 world leaders at the Millennium Summit on 8 September 2000): Ensure environmental sustainability. The new 17 Sustainable Development Goals

Foodstuff, Cosmetic and Disinfectant Act (Act 54 of 1972)

DAFF Sustainable Agriculture Strategy and the Declaration of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)